Greg Rust and Aaron Noonan have been confirmed as the hosts of both the free-to-air broadcast and live stream for the TCR Australia Series.

Available on Australian free-to-air broadcaster SBS in HD, the live stream will also be available globally via the TCR Australia and Shannons Nationals website.

Rust and Noonan will also act as co-hosts of the Shannons Nationals live stream.

The duo will be joined by Emma Notarfranceso and Cameron van den Dungen in pit lane throughout the Shannons Nationals in 2019.

Both Noonan and Rust are no strangers to broadcasting, having commentated and hosted a significant number of motor sport events in recent years and share a passion for the sport that is evident in the dedication to their craft.

The duo will make their debut at the opening round of the Shannons Nationals and TCR Australia Series at Sydney Motorsport Park on 18-19 May.

SBS’s coverage of TCR will begin on Saturday, 18 May at 2pm, with one race to feature on the one hour show on Saturday, while Sunday’s broadcast will showcase two back-to-back races and run from 1pm – 3pm on 19 May.

The Shannons Nationals live stream will be available to view on thenationals.com.au and tcraustralia.com, with a stream all day on both Saturday and Sunday.

QUOTESGreg RustTCR Australia commentator

«I had so much fun working on the Shannons National’s live stream last year. It was just good to do something fresh. With TCR joining the line-up and coverage on SBS 2019 is going to be a ripper year,” said Greg Rust.

«It kind of takes me back to where it all began. My first proper TV job was with SBS in the mid ’90s. And it has a little of a Super Touring vibe about it. I loved working on that series too. Different makes, drivers and teams from various motor sport backgrounds and a brilliant broadcast team. Plus I’ve seen TCR up close in Singapore when I’ve covered the F1 race there – it’s fantastic that it’s coming down under.

«The whole Shannons team’s passion will permeate the coverage of the Shannons Nationals. The producers did a brilliant job last year breaking the mould on various things which really enhanced the broadcast and the Shannons National’s categories all benefited from that. I love working ‘the lane’ and that won’t change on race day but I’m really excited to join my buddy ‘Noonz’ in commentary for TCR. His preparation is second to none and we both plan to make this fun. That’s my mantra these days.»

Aaron NoonanTCR Australia commentator

“I’m really excited about the TCR Australia Series and bringing the action to fans around the country, mainly due to the simple fact it’s an all-new series that is absolutely impossible to predict – there’s no form guide or runs on the board yet,” said Aaron Noonan.

«There’s a whole fleet of cars brand new to the country, a range of well-credentialed drivers that will be adapting to them and a great blend of makes and models – it’s those elements that see me keen to get to Sydney for Round 1 and see who stacks up where.

“It’s sadly often overlooked, but Australia has a great history of small capacity touring car racing. From the Minis and Cortinas winning outright at Bathurst in the ‘60s to the Corollas that dominated Group A class racing in the ‘80s and early ‘90s and the amazing era of Super Touring in the mid to late ‘90s, TCR Australia is the next chapter of that history.

“The opportunity to link up with ‘Rusty’ to call the action on SBS is one that has taken nearly 20 years to come together. We have rarely worked on air together given we were on different broadcasters but on the very rare occasions where we have worked together, we’ve had a ball. And that’s what we’ll be doing with TCR and the Shannons Nationals this year. Regular TV commentary has been absent from my working world for a few years, so I’m energised and eager to get back into the commentary box and call the TCR Australia action live on SBS and for the live stream.”

Michael SmithDirector, Shannons Nationals

“We are thrilled to welcome back ‘Rusty’ to the Shannons Nationals to be joined by Aaron in the co-host chair after a successful 2018 season saw the Shannons achieve its highest ever audience. We’ve got no doubt there will be even more interest in 2019, with a host of exciting categories, including the debut of the TCR Australia Series,” said Michael Smith.

“Both ‘Noonz’ and ‘Rusty’ are talented broadcasters in their own right – we know together they will make a formidable and entertaining team, along with a highly skilled team working alongside them both on and off camera.”

Matt BraidDirector, Australian Racing Group

“The countdown to the debut of TCR Australia is well and truly on. After a successful test day on Monday at Winton, we are absolutely excited about what is to come,” said Matt Braid.

“There’s no doubt we have a great group of teams, drivers and cars all eager to get on track and show what they can do.

“Having ‘Rusty’ and ‘Noonz’ on board in 2019 as the faces of our broadcast on SBS and the live stream is an exciting development for the category and we know that these two experienced broadcasters will do an excellent job calling all the action, both on the track and in the pits.”

Watch Australian touring car history unfold in Sydney. Click above image to secure your tickets to the opening round of TCR Australia.

The stars aligned for Petter in Wales last week,as former team-members joined him at Wales Rally GB.

Petter lands the high five with another Wales Rally GB win

The Solberg story headlines at Wales Rally GB (again)Emotional farewell as Petter signs off with a WRC 2 victory Petter: “That’s a proper way to say goodbye.”Oliver fastest on his first ever WRC outingStunning Saturday morning speed, Oliver beats everybody on just his third WRC stageMixed emotions doesn’t come close for the Solberg family following another thrilling week in Wales.

Petter and Oliver drove their Volkswagen Polo GTI R5s on one of the season’s most complicated and competitive rallies. Both have a story to tell…

For Petter, a four-time Wales Rally GB winner, the last week has been an astonishingly rapid run down memory lane. It’s seven years since the triple world champion competed in Britain, but it felt like yesterday when he delivered the dream: a fifth Wales Rally GB win – admittedly, this one was in the WRC 2 category.

This time, even Hollywood was almost lost for words.

“Incredible,” he said. “Unbelievable. Since we planned the Farewell Tour at the start of the year, I wanted to come here and wanted to do GB. It was different this time with Oliver driving as well. The emotions were a little bit more complicated, but this result… what can I say?

“The comeback starts now!”

Petter admitted returning to one of the season’s most complicated rallies was not straightforward.

“I didn’t underestimate how tough this would be? But maybe I forgot a little bit about how tough it was! This rally is one of the hardest in the championship and it always was – that’s one of the things that make it so special when you are having the success here.

“The days are long and the roads are so, so difficult to read and take confidence from, but when you get it right, it’s the best feeling in the world.”

More on that comeback?

“Do you think I should? Maybe? No, we’re working on Oliver’s plan now. Oliver is the future for the Solberg story, mine is a little bit in the history now. Honestly, it’s been really nice, fun and a lot of emotions coming to this rally. I love this place and these people, so to share my last proper WRC round with Wales was so special for me and Phil.

“That was the proper way to say goodbye.”

Back to the future…

In the last week, Oliver’s World Rally Championship dream got real.

After an already insanely successful rookie season of four-wheel drive rallying, where Oliver has become the youngest ever European Rally Championship event winner and taken America by storm with Subaru Motorsports USA, Wales Rally GB was the next mountain to climb.

Predictably, Oliver made short work of his big moment. He was fastest of all the R5 cars (including WRC 2 Pro and WRC 2) on just his third stage in the World Rally Championship.

Unfortunately, a misted-up windscreen spoiled SS1, while a smashed wheel rim on the second test ruled him out Friday. After a day by the north Wales seaside, Oliver was very much back in business on Saturday morning.

That’s when the fastest times started. Nobody drove an R5 car faster than Oliver through Dyfi and Myherin. Nobody.

Unfortunately, just as the weekend was starting to fly, Sweet Lamb turned sour and Saturday was done.

“The car stopped,” said Oliver. “We don’t know why. We checked everything, but it wasn’t possible to continue. We came to service and the team made lots of investigations, worked on the car and then I could come back again on Sunday.

“Of course, it was disappointing that we couldn’t take the experience we wanted from all of the stages, but the thing I wanted to have a look at for myself was the speed.

“I have been asking myself for the whole time: “Where am I for the speed? How will I compare with the other guys?

“When I came to the first stage on Saturday morning, it was really difficult. I had nothing to win and a lot to lose if I crashed. Honestly, we drove at around 95 per cent and the times were good.”

Good? Try sensational.

Through the 26-kilometre Dyfi test, Oliver was 9.1 seconds faster than any other R5 cars. And 24.7s up on Papa.

“That was good,” he said. “I enjoyed that one – the grip was really good in places and this took me by surprise. I was braking early many times.”

In Myherin, Oliver could only manage fastest by 3.1s and this time Petter was just eight down.

After that, Saturday went south, but Sunday demonstrated more speed and more potential before he rolled in the penultimate test.

Oliver said: “The end of the event wasn’t like we wanted, but the dream really has come true for me to be here. Wales and the World Rally Championship wasn’t like my Papa told me it would be. It was evenbetter.”